The Wedding
by KassandraK
Summary: Bella reluctantly marries Edward only to uncover a horrific secret hidden by the man she is supposed to be with forever. When she is given the opportunity to flee with an unexpected guest, she seizes it and learns a few things about friendship, love, and lust along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

_I'm going to marry Edward. I'm going to marry Edward. Sweet Jesus; Mary, mother of God, I'm going to marry Edward. I can't do this. I can't fucking do this. Shut up, shut up! Yes I can. I'm going to marry Edward._

"Oh, my God," I whimpered into my hands, the trembling clammy digits running through my perfectly curled and primped hair. I felt bobby pins come loose and clink onto the tile floor of the bathroom, but I couldn't bring myself to fix it. Hell, I wouldn't know how to fix it anyway. I glanced up into the mirror, the reflecting image a far cry from the blushing bride I was supposed to portray. Oh sure, the dress was gorgeous and my makeup was perfect, but even I could see the fear and anxiety misting my eyes. How did I get into this position, anyway? Why the hell had I even agreed to marry Edward? For immortality, for intimacy with him? Was it worth it?

I shook my head, a wave of nausea wracking my frame. I heaved into the sink, retching up what little lunch I still have in my stomach. Still trembling, I wiped my mouth and brushed my teeth for the third time that day, effectively ruining my lipstick. Fuck it, everything was going to hell anyway.

I loved Edward. There was no question about it. I loved him with all my heart, but I couldn't help but feel forced into this wedding. He'd made an ultimatum that I didn't agree with, but I had to follow regardless. To join him forever, I needed to marry him first. This didn't seem like such a big deal at first, but now I couldn't help but feel cheated. Why couldn't he just change me as planned and we could ease our way into things? All I wanted was a little bit of intimacy before I was changed. He could barely kiss me without treating me like some porcelain doll. I was put so high up on his proverbial pedestal that I couldn't even kiss him properly!

Since his return from Volterra, things just seemed tenser with him. His kisses were chaste, his touches didn't linger like before, and I couldn't help but feel a little unwanted. I didn't care if I got a bruise from him gripping me too hard or if I accidentally got banged up from messing around. I just wanted more raw emotion from him. As crazy as it sounded, I wanted to see more of the monster he refused to let loose.

"Bella," I heard a soft, familiar voice calling from outside the door. A familiar ripple of tranquility and calm trickled into my volatile cocktail of emotions and I stood up straighter, taking a deep breath. "Alice sent me to check on you."

Jasper's gentle voice was patient and I felt my limbs relax under his influence. I took a seat on the toilet, taking another heaving breath before answering. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just… I guess I have cold feet," I replied, again burying my face into my hands. He waited on the other side of the door, not even asking to come in. I was thankful for that. I knew I looked like a wreck.

"I understand, Bella. Would you like me to stay close while you walk down?" he asked. I smiled weakly in my seat, sending him as much gratitude as I could.

"Yes, please," I whispered, knowing he would hear it as clearly as if I'd screamed it in his ear.

"The guests are all here. Whenever you're ready, Bella… we'll be downstairs. I promise to help you the whole way. There's someone I want you to meet, too," He muttered in his soft drawl.

Through the haze of calm layered over the boiling anxiety, I felt my interest pique. For the moment, my worry about marrying Edward was swayed. Who was so important to Jasper that he would want me to meet?

"Oh? Who would that be?" I asked, turning my gaze towards the still closed door.

"An old friend from back in the day," He replied mysteriously, a chuckle in his voice. I rolled my eyes, a genuine grin spreading on my lips.

"You're getting more cryptic day by day. Alice is rubbing off on you."

I could hear the grin in his reply. "Oh, Alice rubs off on everybody. Now hurry, little lady. You've got a wedding to attend. Charlie will be up here in a minute to lead you down."

I felt the fear settle in again when he spoke those words, an audible sigh exhaling from my lips. "I can do this. I can do this," I whispered softly, standing up with more determination than before and trudging up to the door, swinging it open quickly. To my surprise, Jasper was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he must have gone downstairs to give me a little privacy. I could hear the soft chatter of voices downstairs. It sounded like Alice had invited the whole town to my wedding.

_God, it's my _wedding_. I'm only eighteen! I can't do this!_

I shook my head, gripping onto the doorframe of that bathroom. "Suck it up, Swan," I chided, forcing my feet to move forward. Just as I started, Charlie walked into the room, dressed in a crisp tuxedo. His expression was grim and sullen, but lit up when his brown eyes fell on me. I warmed a little bit inside at his expression, returning the smile he gave me.

"Hey, kiddo. You look beautiful," He said with slightly misty eyes.

Leave it to Charlie to get me all choked up before I had to walk down a flight of stairs. That, in itself, was a huge challenge. "Hey, dad. You look great, too."

"Alice forced me into this monkey suit," He replied with a shrug of his shoulders, holding out the crook of his arm. I took it, taking my millionth shaky breath.

"You can still back out of this if you want, Bella," he said with narrow eyes, a small sliver of hope still in his voice. Of course he still held a grudge against Edward for leaving me and I knew that he didn't think Edward was worthy. I shook my head at his tempting offer, angry at myself for even _wanting_ to back out. Why didn't this wedding feel right?

"N-No, I can't. Edward is waiting for me. Everyone is waiting for me," I replied quickly, knowing that all the immortals downstairs would be able to hear me.

"They can wait, Bella. This is just you and me right now. You want this to happen, right? 'Cause if you don't, you know I'll go down there and tell that boy myself that you aren't ready and—"

"No, dad! Please don't do that. I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous, that's all. I love Edward," I replied. It was mostly true. I did love Edward with all my heart, but the thought of wedding him now… it was just too soon. But what could I do now? Alice had put together this whole thing and for me to back out at the last minute would break more than one heart.

"Just please, don't let me fall," I whispered softly as he guided me out the hall and towards the staircase.

"Never," he breathed back before we took our first step towards my ever growing source of unease.

A/N: I'm back! This is just a teaser and the following chapters will be longer, I promise. For those of you that messaged me about my other stories, I'm so sorry that I haven't updated recently! I got caught up with school and work and I'll try and get some updates on them soon, but I'm not going to make any promises. On a brighter note, this will be a Bella/Peter fic. I love me some Peter. Please leave a review if you have a moment and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

My grip tightened on Charlie's arm as we descended slowly down the stairs. I couldn't remember them ever being this steep or lengthy. My heels clicked with every step and I glued my eyes to my feet, refusing to look up at the guests I knew were staring at me. I felt a familiar heat creep onto my cheeks when I realized it, holding onto Charlie's arm like a lifeline in stormy waters. I could feel Jasper's gift working through me, waves of confidence and calm trickling into the vortex of fear and anxiety whirling within me. I found the strength to look up as we finally reached the last step.

My eyes locked with my mother's first. Renee's lip was trembling and she was watery eyed when she smiled at me. I found it difficult to smile back, forcing the corners of my mouth to lift at her. Everything seemed almost blurry in my vision afterwards as I stepped through the house towards my groom.

_Oh, God. My _groom_. This is insane._

Alice seemed to have outdone herself. I could smell lilacs and freesias and see ribbons and flowers galore through my bleary gaze. Rosalie was playing my entrance on the piano, the sound almost grating on my ears as I stepped in sync with it. A cool hand reached out, touching me lightly on the arm. We couldn't have reached the altar already, right? I prayed that Edward was still far away. Fuck, why did I want him to be far away? I'd never wanted that before. This was so messed up.

"Bella, please relax," Jasper pleaded softly into my ear as he pulled me into a mock hug for appearances sake. The only thought running through my head was how strange it was to be this close to Jasper. I'd never experienced more than a handshake from him and even less so since the 'accident'. "Do you hear me, Bella? Your emotions are too frantic. Please try and relax so I can help you," he whispered. I turned a wide eyed gaze to him when his words sunk in. I nodded numbly as Charlie continued to lead me away, trying to gather my thoughts and emotions as quickly as possible.

_Is that the altar? Oh God, it's the altar. Edward is waiting for me to marry him. I'm going to marry him. Thank God he can't read my mind. You can do this, Bella. Just suck it up and marry the guy._

I took a shaky breath when Charlie let go of my hand and almost reluctantly put it into a cold, marble one. He patted my hand, pecking my forehead before walking back to his seat. "D-Dad," I whispered softly, reaching a free hand out to him. He turned around, his gaze almost hopeful. I smiled weakly, dropping my hand limply to my side. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Bells," he said back before I was gently tugged to turn back around and face my fears.

Edward looked immaculate and perfect as always. His hair was perfectly messy, his grin was crookedly charming, and his pristine tuxedo fit him like a glove. Any other girl would gladly switch places with me to marry this incredible man—so why did I feel like running away?

"You're stunning, Bella," he whispered quietly. I again found myself smiling and nodding numbly as we turned to the pastor and he began the ceremony. The entire time, I found myself wishing I was somewhere else. I could barely hear the pastor reciting the wedding ceremony over my own loud thoughts. I was practically screaming them aloud and was still amazed that Edward couldn't read me. He didn't need to know what I was thinking, though. Halfway through the ceremony, I felt his hand reached over and squeeze mine gently. I glanced over at him to find his golden eyes filled with worry and love. 'I love you,' he mouthed to me and I smiled weakly at him.

"…And do you, Isabella Marie Swan, take this man, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, to be your husband as long as you both shall live?" the pastor asked. I trembled on the spot, feeling a cold sweat break on my forehead when my Edward's cold fingers grasped onto my clammy hands.

"I…" I whispered softly, turning to face Edward. His face was shining with joy, the same warm smile on his lips as he nodded, gently encouraging me.

"I do." I mumbled in defeat, my head lowering and my eyes blurring with tears. I felt them fall onto my shoes below. An audible 'aww' filled the air when the guests mistook my tears as tears of joy. Edward lifted my chin with his fingers, running a gentle hand over my cheek and brushing away the tears.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride," The pastor announced.

"Forever, Bella," he whispered, pressing his lips against mine before the guests erupted into loud applause and cheer.

**CRACK!**

The crashing sound made me jump away from Edward and his chaste kiss and direct my attention to a man stepping into the opening. The wooden gate leading into the enclosed area was practically off of its hinges, the door splintered open. The stranger was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt underneath a woolen parka. His expression screamed 'I don't give a fuck' and I immediately knew he wasn't human. Who was this guy?

"Sorry. Don't know my own strength, I guess." He announced, glancing over at the door. It was then that I noticed his eyes. They weren't the same golden tawny as the Cullen's or the Denali's, nor were they red. They were a murky brown, muddy and strangely colored. Were those contacts? Why would he need contacts unless he was a human-drinker? And if he fed from humans, why on earth would this guy be here?

"Peter," I heard Jasper call, an amused grin on his lips. Alice was practically fuming next to him when the new guest approached the duo, a dry grin spreading onto his lips. They whispered too quietly for me to hear, but I could see Alice's blatant anger with Peter. She ended up smacking him on the arm and huffing quietly as the two men hugged briefly and started to chat quietly. After a moment more of awkward silence, Peter directed his attention to me and Edward.

I felt Edward tense slightly beside me in obvious irritation of the intruding guest, but nodded at him anyway. "Thank you for joining us, Peter," he said, effectively diffusing the situation as the rest of the guests chuckled along. Leave it to Edward to appease the guests. I sighed heavily in my spot, letting him take hold of my hand again.

"Better late than never, Twinkle Toes. Made it to dinner on time, didn't I?" Peter shot back with gusto. Thankfully none of the human guests seemed to catch on to Peter's inside joke. I strangely wanted to cackle along with him as he broke into dry laughter. Edward chose to ignore the vampire and the new nickname he'd been given, turning his attention back to the guests.

"Thank you all for sharing this joyous moment with us. The reception will take place here shortly." He announced in a strong, steady voice. The guests clapped once more before standing and dispersing amongst themselves. Alice hurried along to get the reception going, leaving Jasper and Peter alone. The rest of the Cullen's scurried around to talk to the guests and mingle. I felt Edward squeeze my hand, turning to face me again.

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen. Did I already tell you how stunning you are?" he asked with his beautifully crooked grin, effectively dazzling me. I hated it when he did that. I felt my heart clench and thud quickly in my chest, heat rushing to my cheeks as he leaned down and captured me into another kiss.

_More, please!_ I practically screamed in my head as my tongue swept across his lower lip. Again, I found his kiss to be too soft and chaste for my liking. "You have no idea what you do to me, Bella," he whispered softly into my ear when our lips broke. I rolled my eyes over his shoulder.

"Then why can't you show it to me?" I asked sharply, earning a surprised expression from him.

"What do you mean, love?"

I sighed heavily in frustration. "You know what I mean, Edward. I just… I need more. And you aren't willing to give it to me."

"I could kill you. We've gone over this," he pleaded and I simple shook my head, putting my hands up in surrender.

"Whatever, Edward. Just… whatever," I muttered in reply, turning away from him only to be immediately swooped away by the firms hands of Alice.

"Your makeup is smeared from all that crying! Let's fix it up!" she chirped giddily, but I didn't miss the sharp gaze she directed at Edward first. I don't know what she thought to him, but he backed off enough to let me go. I could feel his gaze burning into my back as I was pulled away by his sister and dragged upstairs for more primping.

As soon as I was plopped down onto the chair in front of the vanity, Alice wrapped me into a tight hug. I awkwardly returned it, patting her back. "What's all this about, Alice?"

"We're sisters now, officially," she replied in her happy voice. I couldn't help but join in on her laughter. It might not have been the right time, but she was right. I was a Cullen now—one of the family. It's what I had always wanted.

"Bella, why did I keep getting visions of you backing out of the wedding?" she asked blatantly, her expression suddenly serious though she was powdering my face. I froze, not knowing how to answer.

"Why didn't you stop me if you'd seen the visions?" I asked in a surprisingly level reply. She huffed, placing more bobby pins into my hair.

"I was waiting until you got downstairs and saw him. I thought that once you'd see Edward waiting for you, all of those doubts would go away… but they didn't. By that time, it was too late to stop the ceremony without creating too many problems with horrendous outcomes. I almost thought you were going to say 'no' instead of 'I do'. You _do_ want this, don't you?" she asked softly, her golden eyes focusing on me again.

I didn't know how to answer her question. My eyes averted from her knowing gaze and into my own reflection in the vanity mirror. Even with my makeup and hair perfected, I still looked gaunt.

"I did want this," I replied so softly I could barely hear myself, "… but I don't know if I want it anymore. Edward isn't the person I thought he was, Alice. I love him so much, but he hasn't been the same. He's been worse."

Alice gently slid me out of my wedding gown whilst listening, easily slipping me into a more comfortable and appropriate evening gown. It was a beautiful deep green flowing dress that stopped just at my toes. She had graciously allowed me to wear matching flats with this dress.

"I've had a few visions of your problems with him, but I didn't realize it was so severe. If I'd known, Bella, I would have never let you go through with this," she whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. "You can always tell Edward no, you know. He'll understand."

"You've seen it?" I asked carefully.

"No. But I know Edward. He wants you to be happy, regardless of what that means for him."

I didn't reply to that, letting her words sink in. He really did love me. I knew he loved me, but I just wanted more from him. I couldn't live out the rest of my existence with someone who wouldn't let me see all sides of him. I needed and moreover _wanted_ to know the 'monster' he held within, too. But even in immortality, it seemed I would never get to experience it.

"I'm not going to tell him 'no'. I'll just try harder for him. I'll try to show him that I need all of him… even the parts he doesn't want me to see. I _need_ him to understand that, Alice."

"I know. I'll try and drop a hint, too. You'll see Bella. Things will be fine. I don't see a problem in the future," she smiled, giving me a newfound sense of hope. "And you haven't met Peter, yet! Jasper wanted to introduce him to the family. They've all met him save you, the blushing bride," she chuckled, though the irritation was clear in her eyes at the mention of Peter.

"The guy that crashed the wedding late, right?" I clarified.

She nodded, frowning at the thought of it. "Yeah, that's him. He's not so elegant, but he's a close friend of ours. You'll like him," she said matter-of-factly.

"Sure, sure. Let's go meet him, then," I chuckled, but my heart clenched when I subconsciously used Jake's trademark saying. He hadn't shown up to the wedding and hoping for an appearance at the reception would only crush my heart more. At least Seth and Billy had shown up for the wedding. My thoughts broke when Alice ushered me out of the door and back to the party below where I would be meeting the strange wedding crasher, Peter.

**A/N: Peter has made his entrance! What do you think? Let me know in a review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

Edward still seemed a bit agitated when we came back downstairs. He was playing the perfect son and husband, but his eyes were pained from the small argument we'd had earlier. I took his hand into mine, pulling him away from the mass of people for a moment of privacy.

"Bella, I'm sorry," he started, but I shushed him immediately.

"This is our wedding day. I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I just… I hope you can understand where I'm coming from Edward. I feel like I only know one part of you when I've given you all of me," I said in one swoop. He paused, his brows furrowing together in quiet thought.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Bella. But I'm not going to give you false hope in this matter. I won't be with you until you're changed. It's too dangerous."

"It's not about that, Edward! It's not just about intimacy while I'm still human or even about changing me soon. It's about _you_ hiding parts of yourself from me. I know you're scared to hurt me, but how can I marry a man that I don't truly know? How can I say that I love you when I only know bits and pieces of the real you?"

He reeled back at my onslaught of accusations and demands, but this moment had been building for far too long. He opened his mouth to answer me, but I found myself again promptly stolen away by Alice's cool hands. "This isn't the best time to do this, you guys. There are people listening," she whispered softly into my ear before shooting Edward a sharp glare. He nodded, glancing over at the Denali's who were watching us with careful eyes. Jasper and Peter were more subtle about it, but I could tell their conversation had halted, too.

I sighed inwardly, turning to glance at Edward. "Later, Edward. We'll finish this later. Let's just enjoy the evening."

His hand circled around my waist and he leaned in, pecking my temple with his cool lips. "Let's go meet our cousins," he whispered, pulling me towards the Denali's. They were incredibly beautiful and I immediately felt out of place beside them. They were all quite friendly, but even I didn't miss the lingering hug from Tanya to Edward. I'd heard that she had a crush on him and it was painfully obvious that her feelings were still there. She'd barely even looked at me.

Edward chatted quietly with them when I dismissed myself to go join Jasper and Peter, to his dismay. I knew that Edward still held a little grudge against Jasper from the birthday accident and it was clear that he didn't like Peter much, but I refused to be rude. Jasper was my friend and I trusted him implicitly, even if the others didn't. As I approached, I immediately took notice that Peter had changed into more formal attire, blending in well with the rest of the guests now. I could only guess that Alice had foreseen his late appearance in his casual clothes and had a spare tux for him. Leave it to Alice to be prepared for absolutely everything.

"Bella, this is Peter, an old friend of mine," Jasper introduced. I smiled at the new vampire, feeling a little shy now. From a distance, he looked like any other immortal, but now that I could see him up close, it was easy to tell he was different from the others at the wedding. The way he held his stance was almost too stiff to be considered comfortable and his eyes, though they were covered by contacts, watched me with an almost predatory gaze. The tuxedo he wore fit him like a glove and though he was almost as tall as Jasper, he didn't look as lanky. His chest was almost as wide as Emmett's and it was clear that beneath the many layers of clothing, he was all muscle. His lips curved into a wicked grin when he caught my eyes roaming. My cheeks flushed and I turned my attention back to his ridiculously handsome face. It wasn't at all like Edward, who was caught between youth and manhood. Peter screamed masculinity and aggression and his face exuded that confidence.

"I suppose I should be congratulating you and Twinkle Toes, but you two don't seem to be off to a smooth start," he said in a smooth, low voice. My breath caught in my throat, but I found the strength to reach out for a handshake to bide some time to come up with an answer. Jasper elbowed him in the ribs and shot him a dirty look, but Peter ignored him and took my hand. His skin was calloused and cool and he gripped my hand with absolute sureness. It was a different touch than the one I was used it. It wasn't feather light or too gentle—it was an unbiased, careless grip that was just shy of grinding the bones in my hand together. And my God, it was absolutely refreshing.

"Maybe it was because someone decided to crash the wedding late and stop us mid-kiss?" I shot back with a sweet smile. One of his eyebrows lifted in surprise and he broke into the same rough laughter from before.

"Oh, I like you."

I couldn't help but fall easily into laughter with him. Jasper seemed pleased, chuckling along as well.

"Carlisle has graciously welcomed Peter to stay with us for a while. He's travelled a long way."

"Oh? That's great! The more, the merrier," I laughed.

"You're a strange little human," Peter chuckled, glancing back over at Edward. It seemed he was stuck chatting away with Tanya, who had her hand laced around his elbow. She subtly pulled him towards the dance floor when soft music started to play. He followed her and they danced, swaying to the music. I couldn't help my small bout of jealousy. Tanya was beautiful and an incredible dancer whereas I needed to stand on Edward's shoes to stay coordinated.

"Want to dance, Sugar?" Peter asked, holding out his hand. He didn't need Jasper's gift to see the obvious jealousy in my eyes. I smiled and nodded, grateful that he could distract me. I took his cool hand and he led me out to the dance floor.

"Fair warning, I have two left feet. I might have to stand on your toes to look like I'm doing it right," I whispered lowly. He shook with that same laughter again, but nodded subtly. The music rolled into another slow ensemble and I turned to face Peter. Over his shoulder, I could see the other couples pulling each other onto the dance floor.

_Good, maybe I won't stick out like a sore thumb._

"Just follow my lead," Peter muttered softly into my ear. His hand swept behind me, wrapping around the small of my back. I lifted one hand to his shoulder and we joined our free hands together. There was just an inch or so of space between us when I stepped on his toes and he started to sway with the music. I closed my eyes, letting his smooth dancing move my body in sync with the soft trills of the violins in the background.

"So, what is it about Eddie that you like so much? I must say, I never thought I'd see him with a woman, much less getting married," Peter asked, those murky eyes watching me carefully. So I told him. I told him about how I'd met Edward, how we'd fallen in love, and how he'd come to ask me for marriage. I just left out the part about Edward not wanting to be intimate with me and forcing this marriage on me. Peter listened in silence through the first song and continued to sway me as the next song rolled in.

"Funny," he murmured, pulling away for just a moment so our eyes could meet, "… something tells me you aren't so happy with what you've got."

He couldn't have hit home harder than that. My breath caught and I shook my head, turning my gaze away and over his shoulder once more. "I'm happy," I replied, but my voice betrayed me. It trembled with the lie I spoke and Peter shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're lying, but that's okay. Ignorance is bliss," he chuckled and I reeled at his blatancy, sighing inwardly. He was right, but I wouldn't admit it. This Peter guy was chocking up to be someone I knew would grate on my nerves, but I couldn't help but admire his blunt attitude. It was what I felt I needed right now. Everyone was always dancing around my emotions, skirting around telling me the truth, or gently pushing me in the direction they wanted me to go. I didn't need that anymore. I needed full blown honesty and it seemed that I'd found a small portion of it in Peter.

"You drink from humans," I said quietly, but almost every vampire's head seemed to perk up and watch us more closely. I saw Edward turn a sharp gaze in our direction, though Tanya was still swooning in his arms. Peter took a deep inhale through his nostrils, his lips curving into a sly smirk.

"You're not afraid," he replied.

I paused, letting those words sink in. He was right… I wasn't afraid of him. Should I have been? His smile widened, revealing perfect milky white, razor sharp teeth. I felt him lean in closer, his lips centimeters from my earlobe. "Not afraid, yet your heart is racing. From what, I wonder?" he whispered and I felt my knees weaken. Good God, what _was_ this man? Was it even possible to dazzle someone without looking at them?

"Bella, may I have this dance?" I heard Edward ask from behind us, his hand already enclosing around my waist and pulling me away from Peter. I released the nomad almost reluctantly, looking up and searching his eyes. He smirked, shrugging and winking one of those murky brown eyes at me.

"See you later, Sugar."

Edward pulled me into his arms, my feet stepping onto his toes as he continued onto the next song, swaying me in his arms. "Are you alright, Love?" he asked with a worried expression. "Did he hurt you?" he asked in an even softer whisper, turning a sharp gaze towards Peter. The nomad was sauntering back towards Jasper and Alice. The duo looked like they were chastising him about teasing me, but I'm sure it was more than that.

"No, of course not. He was a gentleman," I replied hastily, returning my gaze to my new husband.

"He could hurt you, Bella. Please be careful," he replied in a slightly irritated voice. I huffed, rolling my eyes.

"Not all vampires that drink from humans are blood sucking demons, Edward."

"He's not safe, Bella. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I trust Jasper enough to bring someone to my wedding who isn't going to _eat_ anyone. Have some faith, Edward."

"Jasper tried to eat you," he snapped back. My eyes widened in anger and I stopped dancing immediately, pulling my arms from him. Again, the eyes of all the immortals turned to watch us. I could feel their gazes on my back as I tried to reign in my anger and trample down the fury that was rising within me.

"Without Jasper's help, we all would have died at the hands of Victoria and her army. People make mistakes and he's more than made up for his single moment of weakness. We owe our lives to that man and you're going to stand here and pretend that he isn't safe to be around? You're incredible," I seethed.

He gritted his teeth, not replying to me as he grasped my hands to finish our dance. Edward was pulled away by Rosalie and Charlie took my hand. I danced a few rounds with him before being swept away by Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Eleazar. They all graciously allowed me to step on their toes through the dancing. The music picked up and I'd shimmied my way around Alice and the small group of friends from school. By the end of the night, I'd almost run out of breath dancing with everyone and even forgotten about the argument with Edward. Thankfully, none of them had brought up the issue, but I could feel gratefulness pouring out of Jasper when we had danced.

The guests were beginning to leave now and I hugged them all, thanking them for coming to the ceremony. Alice handed them all little gift bags as they left. I didn't even want to know what was in them or how much it had cost the Cullen's to run this whole shindig. Save for the argument, everything else had been quite nice. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little off about wedding Edward. It seemed that things were taking a turn for the worse now that I'd expressed what I wanted from him. We were both so stubborn and no matter how hard I tried, I had a feeling he wouldn't give up and show me what I needed to see.

I didn't even _want_ to go on this honeymoon with him anymore. I didn't know where we were supposed to go, but I do know that I wanted intimacy with him—something he wouldn't give me until I was changed. There wasn't even any point to going, then. I made up my mind then and there that I didn't want to go on the honeymoon.

Alice suddenly popped up behind me, her dainty hands pulling back my hair and her fingers reaching down to massage my shoulders. "You aren't going to the honeymoon, I see," she murmured softly. She didn't sound angry, but more disappointed.

"I'm sorry. If it cost a lot, I can pay you guys back," I started, but she held up a hand and shook her head.

"It's never been about the money, Bella. I just didn't see any of this coming. Earlier when we spoke upstairs, all my visions came out fine. Now, they're muddled. Something from then and now happened and all of your future started to change. I can only see maybe minutes ahead now because your decisions aren't so clear any longer… well, except for the honeymoon decision. What's going on?"

"I don't know what I feel anymore," I answered honestly, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "I don't know if this is what I want."

"But you've never felt this way before. You've always wanted to be a part of this family. Don't you still want that?" she asked, her voice a little bit hurt. I felt guilty immediately.

"Of course I do. I want to be a part of this family more than anything in the world! I just… I don't know if _this_ is the way I wanted to do it. I don't even know if I want Edward to be the one to change me now. I don't know about me and Edward, anymore," I answered in a crumbling voice, fat tears rolling down my cheeks. I wiped them away hastily and accepted tissues gratefully when Alice pushed them into my hand.

"You've never felt this way about Edward before, either, right? Jasper told me earlier when you two were arguing that it was like your emotional bond to him was completely severed."

"I love him, Alice. I do love him. I just feel so suffocated. I need room to breathe and do things the way I want to do them, not the way _he_ feels is best."

Alice's hands suddenly felt larger and more firm on my back, but the massaging continued. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry that I've messed this up so badly," Edward's voice whispered to me from behind. It seemed he'd switched out with Alice and he'd probably heard everything. I sighed, not turning to face him.

"I love you, Edward. I just need time to think about things… to figure out what I want."

"Do you… do you want to annul the wedding?" he asked in a pained voice. I did want to annul it at the moment, but I just couldn't crush him like that. I was hoping that in the end, things would work out just fine.

"No, I don't. I just need some time, Edward. That's all."

I felt him sigh heavily behind me, his hands absent from my shoulders now. "Alright, Bella. Whatever you want. I love you."

"I know you do," I whispered back to him before I felt the wind of his speedy departure.

**A/N: A little angsty, but necessary. Let me know what you think in a review! Also, for those of you who RP, if you're interested I'd like to start one or more RP's via messaging, just for kicks. Shoot me a PM if you're interested and we can hash it out there. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.**

My stuff was promptly moved out of the house, much to Charlie's dismay. He'd found out that we weren't going to the honeymoon and asked me to stay in the house, but I just couldn't bring myself to stay any longer and extend the painful goodbyes. I promised him that I'd come and have dinner with him weekly and he reluctantly allowed me to move in with the Cullen's until Edward and I could find a proper home.

Edward and I hadn't spoken in a few days since the wedding day. It almost felt like he was running away from any sort of confrontation and giving me the space that I'd asked for. Part of me was glad that I could enjoy this alone time, but the other half of my heart wanted to make up with him and just move on. But how could I move on from something this big? Alice had assured me that though she couldn't see what was going to happen, she eventually had a glimpse of me happy at one point. _When_ that point was, we weren't sure.

I fingered the ring on my left hand, sighing heavily and flopping back onto the large, fluffy bed Esme had placed into the largest guest room available. I don't know how long I was laying there staring at the ceiling before I was interrupted by a no-so-subtle cough. I shot up, finding Peter standing in my doorway, a rueful grin on his lips.

"Settling in, I see," he observed, eyeing the room.

"Moved in right next to me, I see," I shot back quickly, earning a haughty snort from the nomad.

"I knew you couldn't get enough of me after that dance," he remarked, leaning against the frame of my door. I scoffed, tossing a decorative pillow at him which he caught easily and flung back at me. It smacked me directly in the face before bouncing to the ground, unnoticed. I felt blood rush to my cheeks and I growled, crossing my arms and childishly sticking my tongue out at him.

"I see why Alice gets annoyed. You're infuriating," I mumbled, flopping back onto the bed once more. I heard the soft creak of the wooden floor when he stepped into the room, chuckling.

"You like it."

I guess I did like it. Peter was a fun distraction from the reality of my problems. Talking to him offered me a momentary escape from Edward, my painfully obvious issue with him, and our strange wedding fiasco. I didn't reply or move when Peter sat the edge of my bed, the silence between us comfortable, though I hardly knew the man.

Jasper had made it clear that Peter could be trusted implicitly and I didn't doubt him. Though he drank from humans, Peter didn't seem to have much trouble at the wedding with his control. Jasper told me it was because Peter fed from humans often and well, so the temptation wasn't even close to what others experienced. I reeled at the thought of the nomad hunting in the area, but he had agreed to hunt elsewhere. The wolves weren't happy about the incoming immortal or his human-only diet, but they begrudgingly agreed to leave Peter alone during his visit with us.

"How long are you staying?" I asked, breaking the silence. He shrugged.

"As long as I want to. Why, want me to leave already?" he pestered. I felt my lips curve into a smile and I matched his shrug, rolling onto my stomach and lifting my head to look at him.

"Maybe. You're so pesky, you know," I teased back.

His eyes flashed darkly, the blood red irises deepening a few shades. After the wedding, he had taken out his contacts for the first time that night. I was already expecting his red eyed gaze, but it still floored me regardless. At such close proximity, Peter exuded what I felt to truly be a vampire. The Cullen's and the Denali's seemed almost tame next to him. They preserved what humanity they had left in their souls, but Peter was undoubtedly different. His view on humans seemed flippant at best and the way he held himself screamed _wild_. He was all logic, want, and raw emotion. I supposed I liked him so much because of it. He didn't dance around me or treat me differently than he did any other human. I was, essentially, food. Untouchable food.

"Maybe I should just eat you. Then you wouldn't have to worry about me being so 'pesky'," he growled, but I could see the amusement in his expression. Upstairs, I heard Alice stomping on the floor to get our attention.

"You will not eat Bella!" she chirped and we both broke into laughter. When it died down, I found myself wondering about his diet. How did he choose who to eat and who could live? And so I asked him.

"No one has told you yet, but I have a little gift of my own," he began, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back against the bed rest. It seemed he was getting comfortable. I flipped back onto my back, my eyes searching the blank ceiling once more.

"… it tells me things. Not things that I always want to hear, but it tells me only the truth. I guess I just know things. It's not like the little Imp upstairs and it's not like Twinkle Toes, either. I don't get visions or straight forward thoughts from others. I just get this tingling down my back that tells me what to do, where to go, how to survive… and it tells me who to hunt, too," he explained. I listened intently, completely intrigued by his gift and his low, rumbling voice.

"You're like Yoda," I concluded. He broke into a pearly white grin and nodded.

"Yoda, I am," he announced in that soft, deep voice. Though I was still looking up at the ceiling, his voice trilled through me, making my hairs stand on end. Was he dazzling me again without my knowing?

"How do you do that?" I asked softly, turning a sharp gaze towards him. He quirked a confused brow.

"Do what?"

"Dazzle. How do you dazzle without looking at people? I thought you had to make eye contact to dazzle someone," I explained, my tone almost accusing.

"You mean the lure. You're right. We need to make eye contact with our prey to lure them in, effectively… what did you call it? Dazzling. To effectively dazzle them," he replied with a smirk.

"So how come…" I started asking, but stopped myself right before I could finish my question. How come he could dazzle me without looking at me? Was he doing it on purpose? Was I just a ball of raging hormones and overthinking things?

"You thought I was dazzling you?" he asked, amusement lacing through his voice. I felt my cheeks flush again, the heat flooding my face, down my neck, and onto my chest. I huffed, shaking my head.

"Of course not!" I lied. I was a horrible liar.

"Oh, yes you did. You thought I was using the lure on you. Oh, Sugar. You wouldn't know what hit you if I'd used it on you," he stated cockily. I frowned, crossing my arms and turning to face him.

"I've been dazzled before. It's nothing I haven't already experienced," I argued. He grinned knowingly, leaning in infinitesimally closer.

"Oh, no. Little Eddie and the rest of the Cullen's only drink from animals. They cling to every last drop of morality and human ideals left in their bloodless bodies. Their dazzle, their _lure_, is not even close to the same strength as an immortal who drinks from humans," he whispered darkly in those dulcet tones.

I found myself falling into those deep pools of crimson eyes, watching him with an intensity I'd never experienced before. He was leaning in and I only wished he would inch closer to me. His breath was sweet mint across my cheek, his perfect face only inches away from mine, now. "P-Peter…?" I asked in a trembling voice, heat flushing over my entire body and pooling right between my legs. Holy _fuck_, what was he doing to me?

He reached out one of his cool, calloused hands and cupped my face, his thumb tracing over my bottom lip. My breath caught in my throat and I found myself inching in even closer to him, centimeters away from his deliciously cool mouth. His lips parted and I swear he was going to kiss me. I wanted him to fucking kiss me.

"And _that_, Sugar, is just a taste of what I can do. It's a shame they shy away from what their bodies crave. Human blood… there's nothing more delectable," he whispered, the sweet breath ghosting over my cheek once more before he pulled away from me. I was practically heaving in my spot, too hot and bothered to fully understand what had just happened. I was grateful I was sitting down because I wouldn't have been able to stand up after that.

"W-What?" I asked, still reeling from the almost-kiss.

"I don't know what Eddie considers dazzling, but _that_ is what all immortals are capable of. Now, I think I'm going for a hunt," he announced, standing up. I turned to watch him leave but not before he inhaled heavily, his eyes plummeting to an inky onyx. "You should clean yourself up, Sugar. I can smell you." He murmured in his silky voice, his eyes flitting briefly to my crotch before he turned and left the room.

Blood rushed quickly to my cheeks and I gasped at his remark. He could smell my arousal in the air? God, that was embarrassing.

_What the fuck just happened?_

"Bella?" I heard Edward's voice call as he approached the door. I immediately stood, racing towards the bathroom before he could get into the room. "Bella, are you alright?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah! I'm fine! I just need a human moment," I replied hastily, quickly shedding all my clothes and hopping into the shower. I turned on the hot spray, letting it sluice away all signs of Peter's dazzling. I must have taken at least 15 minutes in that bathroom, but Edward was still waiting patiently when I came out. He offered a small, warm smile.

"Hello, Love," he said, reaching out and pulling me into a warm hug. I returned it, surprised that he would embrace me while I was still in a towel. This was the first time we'd talked or touched since the wedding.

"Hi. You seem happy," I commented, not really thinking about what I was saying. My head was just starting to clear up from my brief time with Peter.

"I am happy. I'm married to the most beautiful girl on earth. What more could I ask for?" he asked, a wide grin on his lips. Apparently, our fight had completely left his mind. It was strange behavior from him, but who was I to complain? I smiled, accepting his kiss. It was different from his other kisses, though. This one was needy and rough. His tongue probed my mouth and claimed it with a fervor I'd never felt from him before. Was this the 'monster' he'd been hiding? Well, I decided I liked it.

"Oh, Bella," he sighed against my lips, pulling away from me gently. "You're so beautiful. I want you so badly, Love."

"I'm yours, Edward," I replied immediately, my hopes almost soaring with this newfound confidence in himself.

"I know, Bella. I'm just waiting for the right moment. Please don't give up on me."

I sighed, running my hands through his perfectly unkempt locks of bronze hair. I pecked him gently on the forehead, nodding. "I won't give up on us," I replied and he smiled crookedly at me. His phone then beeped and he swiftly pulled it out of his pocket, reading the text message too quickly for me to see who it was from. Oddly, his eyes darkened to a familiar onyx after reading it.

"I need to go, Bella. Carlisle has been asking me to help him at the hospital and I couldn't say no. Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake, Love," he said immediately, putting the phone away. I nodded, smiling sleepily at him. I was getting a little worn out.

"Alright. I'll leave the window open," I said, but caught myself and starting laughing. He chuckled, pecking my temple.

"Leave it open, for old times' sake."

I nodded, smiling sleepily at him again. "Hey, have you hunted recently?"

He paused, those dark inky eyes narrowing slightly. "A few hours ago. Why?"

"Your eyes are black," I replied, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He looked guilty for a split second and wasn't quick enough when he masked it with an amused smile.

"Maybe I didn't have enough. I'll go on another hunt after helping Carlisle. Go to bed, Bella," he replied before turning his back on me.

And then he left. I changed into a pair of comfy pajamas before settling into bed to think about everything. Peter had dazzled me simply to prove a point, I was sure. He'd made it clear, alright. Still, I found myself still liking him so much. He was callous and painfully blunt, but he was refreshingly honest and didn't hide a thing from me.

Edward's new behavior was something I wasn't expecting. Had our argument finally made it clear to him that I needed more than what he was willing to give? That kiss was fantastic and he seemed so happy, but it was just strange. We'd carried on with these arguments for so long now, so what was it that made him change his mind? I sighed, flipping under the covers and closing my eyes, trying to will myself to fall asleep.

What about that text? It was true that Carlisle was starting to work night shifts at the hospital, but he'd never asked Edward for help before. And Edward had never willingly left me at night unless he needed to hunt—so what was it? I sighed again, rubbing at my temples. I was just overthinking things, probably.

_Stop being such a paranoid worry wart. If he says he's working with Carlisle, that's exactly what he's doing. You're just not used to things being good for once. Go to sleep, Swan._

I reached out for a pillow, snuggling closely into it and holding onto those reassuring thoughts as sleep clouded my mind and pulled me into darkness.

**A/N: How many of you think Edward is up to no good? And what about Peter's dazzling? Let me know in a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

"Good morning, Love," Edward whispered into my ear as soon as I roused from slumber. He was curled up behind me, the blanket tucked between us so I wouldn't freeze from his icy skin. I mumbled a greeting back, yawning and slumping deeper into the feather-down blanket. His fingers ghosted down my arm, effectively raising goose bumps in their wake. They traced down until he reached my hip, those cold fingers slipping under my shirt and tracing semicircles on my stomach.

_Whoa, he's never been this handsy before. Take advantage, idiot!_

Whatever doubts I had of him the night previous went out the window with his newfound confidence. I grinned, reaching down and taking his hand into mine, pushing it further up my shirt. He complied easily, to my surprise. A low growl erupted from his lips when his hand brushed the underside of my breasts. My breath caught when those cold fingers brushed over my nipples, almost cautious as they touched me. "E-Edward," I gasped, arching into his touch.

_More…_

And as soon as it started, it ended. His hands were gone, though I could still feel that icy chill on my skin. I turned to face him to find him pressed against the wall, his face scrunched into an expression of pain and overwhelming desire. If he had hunted earlier it didn't show in his murky, dark gaze.

"Bella, you can't… you can't do that. _I_ can't do that with you. Not yet," he whispered, barely breathing at all. I sighed, turning away from him, shaking my head.

"Didn't it feel good? Don't you want me?" I asked, not able to keep the tremble out of my voice.

"Of course I want you, Bella! More than anything, I want you!" he pleaded.

"I trust you with my life, Edward. Why can't you trust yourself, just this once? You'll never know how strong you are—how controlled you are—if you don't give us a chance to find out. Please, don't push me away."

"I'm trying, Bella, I promise. I'm trying everything I can to find a modicum of control, I'm even…" he argued, stopping short of finishing his sentence. I paused, narrowing my eyes at him.

"You're what, Edward?" I asked, trying to patiently await his answer. His expression went blank, those glassy black eyes empty.

"It's not important, Bella. Take a shower and I'll make you some breakfast," he replied, turning and flitting away before I could interrogate any more. I slumped once more, my mind racing with suspicious thoughts.

_What the hell was that?_

I shook my head and tried to wave off the dreadful feeling, heading into the shower as directed. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something very important from me—something incredibly bad. I quickly scrubbed the dirt and grime from my body, toweling off and dressing in record speed. The rest of the family was home, but they were completely silent as I left the room and approached the stairs. It was definitely odd. I could usually catch Emmett watching a football game or Alice prancing around getting ready to shop. Even Rosalie made occasional appearances during which she would pick at the invisible dirt under her nails or glare at me with misplaced anger.

I heard a door crack open behind me.

"Bella," Alice called to me before I could go downstairs. She inhaled as if she were about to tell me something, but she was taken by the familiar expression of a vision. Her stare was vacant for a split second before it filled with an unknown sadness, those golden hues seeming to darken with her mood. "N-Never mind. Go ahead," she said, changing her mind and turning back around to head into her room, her hand reaching for the doorknob.

"Alice, what the hell is going on?" I asked. She stopped mid-step, not turning to face me. I didn't miss the trembling in her tiny body or the telltale crunch of the doorknob she had already grasped onto.

"You'll find out on your own, Bella. I can't alter what will happen," she replied in a cryptic, soft voice. This wasn't her usual peppy tone or her happy-go-lucky attitude. Something was upsetting her and I could only guess it had something to do with Edward. He was most likely listening to us at very moment, so I stopped myself from questioning her further.

She closed the door behind her and the house was once again silent. Usually I could hear low chatter from their rooms if I listened closely enough, but it seemed that no one was talking. They all seemed to be listening… waiting. For what, I didn't know. I sighed, turning back around to head downstairs.

Before I could get halfway down, I was intercepted a flash of cold air and a wide, toothy grin. Peter seemed to appear out of thin air before me, his cool hand clamping over my mouth before I could shriek in surprise. My heart thumped wildly when my eyes met that vividly crimson gaze.

"Miss me, already?" he chuckled. I took a shaky breath, childishly sticking my tongue out at him and shaking my head. His smile disappeared quickly though, those eyes narrowing at my tongue. "Oh, Sugar. You better put that thing away before I bite it off," he muttered quietly, that amused smirk still plastered on his ruggedly charming face.

Suddenly, his brows furrowed together in thought and his smile drooped slightly. "Hm, that's interesting," he muttered almost too quietly for me to hear. One of those eyebrows quirked and he shrugged nonchalantly. "Better now than later, I guess."

"I'll be in my room," he added, striding passed me up the stairs.

I couldn't help the morbid dread filling my emotions as I turned away and continued my way to the kitchen. Everybody seemed to know something that I didn't, but I'd be damned if I didn't figure it out within those next few minutes. Edward was going to spill his guts out if it was the last thing I did.

I could smell eggs and toast in the air and took a seat at the island in the kitchen, watching Edward with intense scrutiny. What was he hiding? I was determined to find out.

"What time did you come in last night?" I asked carefully when he placed a steaming plate before me. I took a bite of the perfectly scrambled eggs and toast.

"Midnight. Why do you ask, Love?" he asked, turning back around to wash the dishes.

"Oh, just wondering. What did Carlisle have you do?"

He paused in his washing before resuming. "I helped him with a rather large stack of paperwork he had been putting off for a while. It was mainly just signatures and prescriptions that I forged out while he worked with patients."

_Of course he can forge out Carlisle's signature. I'm worrying for nothing. The family is just psyching me out, that's all._

I wanted to believe the errant thoughts running through my head, but it just felt so wrong. What the hell was he hiding? I gritted my teeth, putting my fork down and sighing heavily.

"What's wrong, Love?" he asked, putting away the last of the dishes and turning to face me. "Aren't you hungry? You need to eat, Bella," he ushered gently, taking a seat across from me. That perfectly sculpted face smiled sweetly at me and I wanted to nod and smile back, but I just couldn't. He reached out, his hand laying across mine, worry etched over his chiseled features.

I just couldn't put two and two together. Why was he suddenly so secretive and dodging my questions? Why was he suddenly more confident with touching me and giving me ample affection? Where _was_ he last night? Carlisle was still at the hospital, so I couldn't even ask the good doctor if he could verify Edward's whereabouts.

I couldn't take it anymore. I just had to be forthright about my suspicions.

"Where were you last night, Edward?" I asked in a surprisingly strong voice.

"What do you mean, Bella? I was at the hospital," he replied smoothly, his eyes dark and murky again.

"You're lying to me," I retorted in a whisper. He reeled back, his eyebrows furrowing together in surprise. It was easy to read the moment of guilt on his face before he masked it again.

"If you don't tell her, I will," Alice's voice sounded from behind me. She stood in the doorway of the kitchen with Jasper right behind her. A low growl erupted from Edward when she announced her presence. He stood up, knocking his chair back onto the floor. I jumped at the crack of splintering wood, standing up quickly. I was frozen in my spot, my eyes glued to the unfolding dispute between brother and sister.

"What's going on?" I asked again, training my eyes on Alice. "Alice, what the _hell_ is going on? Tell me," I demanded, wanting to stomp my foot childishly.

"Tell her, Edward. Be a man for once in your life, and tell her the truth before I do," she hissed. I'd never heard her voice or seen her expression this angry before. Jasper stood quietly behind her, but I could read his seething expression easily. I felt an emotion wash over me and I knew immediately it was Jasper's influence.

_Compliancy._

That was the feeling that washed over the whole room. I felt lethargic and absolutely amenable under this strange stimulus. I knew it was meant for Edward and I turned to face him, trying to gather what little courage I had left. For the last time, I repeated my question.

"Where were you last night, Edward?"

The next moments of silence were deafening as I awaited his answer. I glanced back at Alice and Jasper, not surprised to find the rest of the family, minus Carlisle, watching the unfolding situation carefully. I turned back to Edward to find his expression again riddled with indecisive guilt. What could he be doing that would make him feel so badly about it? That he would have to go to all lengths to hide it from me and try to keep it from Alice?

_Oh, fuck._

It all fucking clicked at one time in my head. I shook my head, feeling hot tears pooling into my eyes at the thought of Edward with someone else last night.

"Let me rephrase, Edward," I spat through the haze of tears. "_Who_ were you with last night?"

He grimaced, shaking his head at me. "Please, Bella. I can explain if you just listen for a moment…"

"Who. Were. You. With?!" I repeated, the volume of my voice rising per word. I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it. Sickeningly, I needed to hear the bastard say it and confirm all of our suspicions. Another moment of earsplitting quiet passed before he replied.

"Tanya. I was with Tanya," he whispered in a trembling voice, his shoulders slumping forward in defeat. I felt my body quaking in anger and hurt with his admittance, the tears spilling over and pattering onto the hard, marble floors beneath my feet.

"You… you were with Tanya. You were sleeping with Tanya," I repeated, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. He nodded fractionally, giving me nothing more.

"Why?" I asked in a soft, level voice.

_Why would you fuck up everything that we have? _

"I was trying to build up tolerance… trying to sate the monster inside so I wouldn't hurt you when the time came. I know it was wrong. I'm so sorry, Bella. I don't deserve forgiveness," he replied in a defeated confession.

"Tolerance. You were out _fucking_ Tanya to build up a sexual tolerance so you could _fuck_ me next?!" I all but screeched, finding sick pleasure in his cringing at my less than classy choice of words.

"Edward, how could you?" Esme whispered softly from the small huddle at the base of the stairs. She stepped forward and I didn't need to look at her to see her blatant disappointment. Her voice was laced in anger and emotion. I was almost surprised that they weren't more… understanding? This was Edward, the Golden Boy. I was expecting this reaction from Alice and Jasper, but not from Esme. She never outright said she had a favorite child, but it was obvious that Edward held a special place in her heart. Again, I felt peculiarly pleased that he had disappointed her in such a way.

"I was weak. I'm sorry," he repeated, but I didn't want to hear it anymore. His voice was grating on my ears and his longing gaze broke my wounded heart even more. I just couldn't take it anymore.

I fled. I raced passed Alice, Jasper, and the rest of the Cullen's. They parted without difficulty for me, no one bothering to try and stop me though they easily could. I scampered up the stairs, hiccupping and ripping towards my room. Through my bleary site, I saw Peter's door beside mine, cracked minutely. Was this what he meant before? Had he known this would happen? My thoughts jumbled around haphazardly. What was I going to do? Where was I going to go? I was _married_ to Edward and no longer living with Charlie. There was nowhere for me to run. I sniffed, stepping as quietly as I could towards Peter's door.

**CRASH!**

I heard the sickening crunch of marble against marble as Edward undoubtedly fought his way up towards me and was currently being placated by his family. "BELLA! Please, don't run! PLEASE!" he exclaimed in an anguished voice below. At that moment, Peter's silhouette ghosted towards his door. He cracked it open another inch, his gaze level with mine. His eyes didn't hold any remorse or sympathy, only intrigue. He was still, holding out his hand towards me in silent invitation. This was it—my only chance for reprieve. This was my chance to start making my own goddamn choices. This was my chance to start thinking about _me _and finally start telling Edward _no_.

"Fuck you, Edward," I muttered with as much spite as I could muster before reaching out and taking Peter's icy cool hand.

A/N: And shit hit the fan. Most of you guys knew what was coming already, you smart little cookies. Let me know what you think in a review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

"Bella, please! Don't do this. Come out right now and we'll talk it out, Love. I need you to listen to me. He isn't safe!" Edward pleaded outside Peter's door. I could hear grunts of effort as he valiantly tried to pry himself from whoever it was holding him back.

"Edward, stop making a fool of yourself. You fucked up royally and now… now you're going to have to pay for it," I heard someone say. I almost didn't recognize the voice because that person rarely ever spoke and more rarely spoke to stand up for me. Rosalie's tenor was hard and spiteful when it scolded Edward and I knew that what he had done had probably hit one of her buttons. Roy, the man she'd been with while she was human, had cheated and raped her. If I hadn't figured out what was happening, would that have happened to me, too? Would Edward have taken advantage of me when he felt he was strong enough to do it without killing me?

I didn't know how to feel about that. I pushed it to the back of my head, turning back towards Peter. My hand was still in his and he squeezed it, pulling me towards a large open window. I glanced down at the long drop and I felt my heart pound heavily in my chest.

"Still want to get out of here?" he asked, those inquisitive eyes watching me warily. I took a deep breath, refusing to glance back at my past, and nodded.

I oddly wanted to sing 'Let Me Be Your Wings' from that stupid kiddie movie Thumbelina when Peter slung me across his back and catapulted us out of the guest room window and into the massive trees surrounding the Cullen residence. The lyrics from that hopeful, happy song pounded in my ears and I couldn't get them out of my head.

_Let me be your wings, let me be your only love…_

I buried my face into his back to avoid the whipping of cold wind across my face. Why was I thinking of such a positive song when my reality was more like 'All By Myself' by Celine Dion? I should have been spouting ridiculous amounts of tears or reverted back to that comatose stage when Edward first left. But… I didn't feel that way. I wasn't sad and I definitely didn't want to mope. I wasn't happy either. The only emotions that roiled within me were relief—relief that I could get away from the chaos—and pure, unadulterated _fury_. I didn't want to sit down and cry my eyes out over what Edward had done to me. I didn't want to talk it out with Alice or have to explain to Charlie why Edward and I were annulling the marriage. I just wanted Edward to hurt as much as he'd hurt me before. I wanted him to know what it felt like to have his heart shatter into a million pieces, be scooped up and sloppily taped back together, and then trampled over all over again. How could he possibly do this to me? To us?!

_Let me take you far beyond the stars. Let me be your wings, let me lift you high above… _

The sickly song reminded me of Edward… of his desperate need to care for me like I was some sick puppy. I was his pet, nothing more. I was molded to be his exact match and he knew exactly what he had been doing to me. He wouldn't touch me while we weren't wed, but as soon as we married he want off and fucked Tanya. I clenched and grinded my teeth together at the thought of them together, the anger spilling into my limbs. I clenched harder onto Peter, my limbs shaking.

"Cold?" he asked, still sailing at ridiculous speeds through the forest to God knows where. I shook my head.

"Angry," I replied.

"And?" he trailed off, somehow knowing there was more.

"I don't know yet," I sighed against his back, my arms going numb from the icy wind and his icier skin. "Where are we going?" I asked, changing the subject as I pondered his vague replies to me. What was he trying to say? I was angry, that much was certain.

"Wherever it tells me to go," he replied and I knew he was referring to his gift. I nodded, accepting it for what it was. Wherever it led, I knew it would be better than being back there with Edward. I almost wanted to laugh knowing that he was probably throwing a giant bitch fit at home. I knew of his choices, Peter was probably last on the list when it came to keeping me safe and sound.

"Don't worry. We're close," he muttered, probably feeling my trembling on his back. I huddled against his heavy marble body, noting in the back of my head that he felt a lot different than Edward or the other Cullen's when they carried me. The Cullen's were almost cautious when they carried me, taking extra care to make sure I wasn't too cold or even carrying my bridal style if it was more comfortable. I was only ever carried on a vampire's back once—the first time I'd been with Edward. Peter almost didn't seem to care if I was back there or not. He went at full speed, carelessly whipping around trees and branches, barely giving any real concern or support as I clung to him as closely as possible. I wondered if he could feel the heat of my skin through our clothes. My cheeks heated at the thought and I shook my head, trying to blast away the naughty thoughts about the previous night out of my head.

Would he dazzle me again? Did I _want_ him to dazzle me again? I think I did. I sighed heavily. It seemed to catch his attention and he glanced back at me through his run, slowing slightly.

"You still alive back there?" he asked, chuckling with amused eyes. I rolled my eyes, nodding. "I think we're almost there," he muttered almost too softly for me to hear. I grew excited with his announcement, please that I wouldn't be riding piggyback for much longer. My legs were starting to cramp, too. As we continued, I started to wonder about this arrangement—if you could call it an arrangement—with Peter. How long would I be staying with him? What the hell was I going to do about Charlie or the Cullen's? What about the divorce?!

"Calm down. You're making me thirsty," he growled, though there was still an edge of amusement in his voice.

I didn't know where the burst of confidence came from, nor could I explain why the hell I did what I did.

"Peter?" I asked, leaning in close to him. My breath must have been hot on his ear because I could see it in the air, brushing his cheek. He stopped immediately and surprisingly, I wasn't thrown off his back and into the neighboring tree. In a millisecond, I was pushed up against the thick trunk of a tall tree, a hand on either side of my head. A wry smirk pulled at his lips, but it didn't meet his intense gaze.

"What is so important that you need to say my name like _that_, human?" he asked, those dulcet tones rumbling through me.

"There are four basic human needs," I started, my breath catching in my throat when he leaned in closer, only inches from my face.

"Oh, I can tell this is gonna be good. Do tell."

"Food," I muttered, holding my breath as he leaned in fractionally closer, his nose delving down towards my neck. I could feel him inhaling deeply, a purring growl erupting from his chest.

"Mm, we can work that out. I get you food… you do the same for me," he replied darkly, those eyes flashing black. I didn't know if he was serious about that or not. Even worse, I didn't know if I minded.

"Sleep," I continued to list, my eyes fluttering closed when he moved up my neck, still inhaling. I felt a cold hand brush into my hair, gripping it firmly at the base and roughly pulling back, baring my throat. I complied easily, gasping when I felt a familiar heat throb between my legs. I felt his lips move against my throat.

"You can sleep when you're dead. Continue," he whispered in a hoarse demand. My back was firmly pressed against the tree, his body only inches away from pressing into mine.

"Sex," I whispered back, earning an appreciative groan from him when his tongue flicked forward and tasted my skin. It was cool and slow against my neck and I found myself wondering in my back of my mind how he had the control to not kill me on the spot. But hell, I wasn't complaining. I heard a soft keen and barely recognized it as my own voice. My body pushed forward and pressed against his of its own volition and he pushed right back, slamming me back into the rough bark of the tree.

"You don't know what you're asking for, girl," he whispered in reply. I could feel the thickness of his erection pressing against my stomach and it only made me push my thighs together in an effort for relief.

Finally, I knew what I wanted. Edward had cut me open too many times and now I didn't know if anyone could sew me back up properly. He'd left me for months, come back and promised me forever, nearly forced me into this sham of a marriage, and then proceeded to fuck his 'cousin'. I'd been tossed around and smothered with his coddling all at one time and I'd finally had enough. My gaze was steely and cold when I opened my eyes to meet Peter's gaze.

"One more, Sugar," he whispered. Oh, he was dazzling me again. Yeah, I definitely needed him to do this more often, I decided. I felt myself melt under his dark, murky stare. The hand gripping my hair squeezed tighter to the point of pain, pulling me towards him and tilting my face up to meet his.

"And _revenge_," I concluded.

That smirk curved into a wide Cheshire grin and he broke into rough laughter. "Oh, I really,_ really_, like you," he muttered before those sinful lips crashed against mine.

A/N: I know this was super short, but it felt right to stop here. Quick special thanks to **GeezerWench** for leaving some fuck awesome reviews on my stories. To those of you who followed me through from fic to fic and continue to patiently wait for updates on all of them, thank you so much. You are all absolutely amazing.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

He didn't tell me if he owned the house or not, but I seriously doubted it. I didn't need to ask to know that he'd probably killed the owners while I waited outside, fed on them, and proceeded to steal their modest little house. What bothered me more than that was the face that it _didn't_ bother me as badly as I thought it would. Wasn't I supposed to be the innocent human, eager to protect all human life? Was I so jaded that I couldn't even bring myself to try and save these innocent lives?

_No._

I knew why. Because no matter who it was, Peter would need to feed… so why bother getting flustered about it? If it wasn't these people, it would be someone else, somewhere else.

The house was small, comfortable, and hidden into the mountains—easily out of reach of wandering humans and city life. I couldn't be more relieved to know that I was away from _him_. Edward. Just thinking his name set me on edge and lit a blazing fire in my furious heart. Revenge would be so, so sweet. If I could just figure out exactly how to hit him where it would hurt most, I could die a happy woman. I wanted to tap my fingers together slyly and cackle at the devious thoughts racing through my mind. It almost made me giddy with glee to imagine Edward suffering as much as he'd made me suffer.

My thoughts broke when I felt Peter's cool hand tracing my hip, his thick frame shadowing me from behind. I shivered, remembering our searing kiss in the woods. His lips were rough and demanding, his scent heady and thick in my nose. It was intoxicating, it was addicting. He would have taken me, _fucked me_, in those woods had we not been close to a group of wandering hikers coming a smidge too close to our location. He'd hauled me up and started the race to this house.

Our safe house.

I turned around to face him, peering into his bright ruby eyes. They were cautious, as always, but held what I could only describe as fondness.

"You're the strangest human I've ever met," he muttered, but he didn't reject the gentle peck I placed on his lips.

"Won't be human for long, though," I replied. "Right?"

"Mmm, I want to play with you while you're human. It's enthralling knowing I could kill you at any second," he admitted shamelessly. Again, I couldn't find myself to be afraid of the nomad.

"It's even more beguiling knowing you aren't afraid of it, either," he added. I felt my lips spread into a wide grin and I shrugged at his comment.

"You aren't so scary."

"Oh?"

My back slammed into the neighboring wall and my limbs trembled like jelly when he pinned me against the hard surface. My heart pumped quickly and I felt fear spike in my emotions, fueling my labored breathing and yet I could feel a familiar wetness pooling in my panties, soaking them when his cold breath washed over my cheek.

I felt him inhale and purr against my neck, that cool tongue laving against my skin like before. I would have bruises from this and it hurt like hell, but it was complete bliss. I felt a warm trickle down the side of my face and realized it was blood when it ran into my mouth. Did I hit my head that hard against the wall?

Peter tensed when he smelled the blood oozing from the small cut on my head. His murky eyes pitched black and a feral grin spread on his sinful lips. I felt his mouth move upwards, that wicked tongue dipping into the blood running on my cheek. He growled against my cheek, suckling on my cheek and up my temple, tasting my blood. Would he kill me now? Would he fuck me first? Did I even care if he killed me if he would fuck me first?! It was then that I realized how deep in shit I was. What had this man done to me for _me_, Bella Swan, to be okay with dying if he would have sex with me first?!

"So sweet. No wonder that fucking pansy couldn't handle his shit around you," Peter whispered into my ear. I felt his lips move again and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the end. This was how I was going to die. Peter was going to rip into me and drain me dry, the Cullen's would probably find my body sooner or later, and I would die as the girl who never experienced a single damn thing in her miserable existence.

This. Fucking. Sucked.

I couldn't hold back my surprise when his blood stained lips pressed against mine, his tongue pushing into my mouth and massaging slowly against mine. My blood mingled on our tongues, the metallic tang an odd taste in an otherwise mind blowing kiss. I could get used to this.

**Beep! Beep! Beep!**

My phone blipped and sounded loudly from my pocket, effectively ruining the moment. I groaned against Peter's mouth, pulling away and yanking the retched device out of my pocket, glaring down at the screen. Alice had sent a text.

"Fucking imp," he seethed beside me and I nodded in agreement, sighing and reading her text.

'_You two are going to be impossible, I can already tell. Whatever it is you're planning Bella, please be safe and careful. Jasper and I love you both and we'll try to keep Edward away for as long as possible. Peter, I know you're reading this. If you hurt her, I'll rip your head off myself. I'll call as soon as I can. The others send their love.'_

"So what _are_ you planning, exactly?" Peter asked, gently prodding at the cut on my head. The bleeding was slowing, but it was sore. He shot me an almost apologetic glance and I knew I would get nothing more than that from him. He rifled through a few drawers and pulled out some antiseptic and bandages as I tried to find an answer to his question.

"I don't know what to do. I just want him to hurt—to hurt as badly as he has hurt me."

"You know in the end, it'll do absolutely nothing for you, right?"

I sighed, nodding. "I understand that. But it'll feel good now and dammit, I want to feel good right now. I deserve to feel good, as selfish as it sounds. I'm done apologizing and I'm done being considerate of others. It's Bella time now."

Peter patched up the small cut easily, a smirk on his lips as he listened to me. "Good girl," he muttered quietly to himself, but I caught it easily. His eyes met mine at a level gaze before he uttered the most important words I think I'd ever hear in this life.

"From here on out, as long as we're sticking together, I never want to hear a fucking 'sorry' out of your mouth. I learned a long time ago that an apology, as well placed as it is, is simply just that: an apology. They are nothing more than empty words to ease the weak and insecure. Never regret, never say sorry, and never take back what you say—especially if it's the truth."

It was brutally honest and eye opening. I found my breath swept away by his small speech and my heart fluttering in my chest.

"Promise me, Isabella," he growled, gently shaking me at the shoulders. I gasped, nodding.

"I promise. I will not apologize. I will regret nothing," I whispered. His satisfied smile was enough to get my hopes up. We were stuck together now and though he didn't say it, it was plain to see that he enjoyed my company too. Maybe after this ordeal with Edward, he would let me travel with him. Then again, Peter had always been alone and seemed to like it that way. I wouldn't let myself think about it or ask him until all of the rest was squared away.

"Good. So, how you plan on going about hurting our precious little Golden Boy?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

It was a simple question with so many possible answers. Deep down inside, I knew what I wanted. "Tanya," I replied vaguely.

"What about her?" he asked with narrow eyes, already knowing the answer it seemed.

"Let's kill Tanya."

Peter laughed dryly. "That's it? To get back at him, you're just going to kill his blonde slut? He doesn't even love her."

"I know that. We need to dispose of her anyway, though."

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't want him to have anyone to run to when he catches us fucking red-handed," I replied boldly. Peter's eyes darkened at my words, that corrupt smirk never leaving his lips.

"Oh, he never deserved you, Sugar," he whispered, his smirk spreading into a grin, his pearly teeth glinting in the light. "You look like a sweet, innocent girl and you sure fucking played it well at first… but we both know who you really are now, don't we? Hell, I sure like you a whole lot more like this."

I smiled back at him, matching his savage grin. "You know, I suddenly like me a whole lot more, too."

A/N: Thank you guys SO MUCH for the explosive response for the last chapter! I think I got around 30 reviews! ^3^ Kisses for you all. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review if you have a moment!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

"Don't mean to look a gift-horse in the mouth, but what is it that you're expecting out of this?"

I regretted the words almost immediately as they left my stupid mouth. Here he was in all his give-a-fuck God-like glory, ready to help me seek vengeance on my cheating husband, and I was questioning his motives. But how couldn't I? What was he expecting out of me, exactly? He shifted in the living room of the same modest house, a mysteriously dark glint in his eye in reception to my inquiry.

"Nothing yet," he replied slowly, almost innocently. "It's telling me to do this—to help you. I'm going to listen to it in hopes that whatever reason it has to push me in this direction, your direction, it's going to benefit me sooner or later," he said, referring to his gift. It was vague and made me want to question him more, but I bit my tongue. How could I argue with that? So his gift told him to help me.

Cool.

"Besides, it's been a while since I've fucked," he side commented idly, almost to himself. I couldn't stop the giggle that erupted from me, my shoulders shaking in laughter. Peter? Not having sex on a regular? It sounded almost absurd as _me_ whoring around with Mike Newton and the rest of the boys at school.

"You're joking," I gasped between chuckles. "There's no way you haven't been having sex with some disastrously hot vampire over the past… how old are you, again?"

"Old," he replied, but shrugged at my first comment. "I used to have a companion, but not anymore. Not for a long time."

"Oh?" I asked curiously.

He nodded, but said nothing more. Should I really be prodding at this? Did he have a lover before I came along? Why did that make me jealous? I sighed inwardly.

I plopped onto the slouching couch in the room and we settled into comfortable silence for a few minutes. More minutes passed and the couch suddenly felt warmer and softer on my back. I shifted into a lying position and told myself I was just going to rest my eyes for a second, but I began to nod off, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Her name was Charlotte," he whispered.

Was I dreaming? Was I awake? I didn't know. My eyes were closed and Peter's dulcet tones drifted into my head, clouding my thoughts with his silky voice. I said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"She was a strong little sprite, feisty, and compassionate… nothing like me," he breathed, his voice lowering just a few decibels. I could barely hear him now and I strained to listen though my mind was screaming at me to get some rest. I needed it, but I couldn't stop listening to him. What had happened to this Charlotte he spoke so fondly of?

"We were travelling to Texas when she went off for a hunt. My gift hadn't warned me in time. She'd run into a group of strange, unfriendly nomads. They advanced on her… attacked her before I could get here in time. She was ash by the time I'd arrived," he muttered darkly.

"I ripped them all to shreds and watched them burn… but it didn't bring Charlotte back."

I felt the familiar rush of heat rise through my chest and flood my cheeks. Tears pooled into my closed eyes and pit-patted onto the lumpy sofa. I didn't hear Peter shift from his spot, but his hands were suddenly lifting me, carrying me deeper into the house. I didn't open my eyes, but simply leaned into his marble chest. It was cold and my tears soaked through his shirt.

My back hit a soft bed and in the next moment, a warm comforter was draped over me. I kept my eyes shut, not wanting to look at him. It would just make me cry more.

"I'm sorry," I whispered softly.

I heard nothing but the gentle rustling of wind as he shut an open window at vampire speed and flitted back to the edge of the bed. I could feel his intense gaze on me, watching me as sleep started to take my mind.

"Rest, Isabella," he murmured softly before there was another 'whoosh' of air and I knew he was gone.

Peter didn't speak of Charlotte again over the next few days. The small moment of openness he had gifted me was gone now and he was back to his merciless honesty and teasing touches. A part of me wanted to ask him about her, but it just wasn't in my place. I hardly knew the man. It just didn't feel right to try and pry into his past.

_You don't know the man and yet you'll gladly fuck him in front of Edward._

I pushed the errant thought away, pulled out my phone, and read the short message Alice sent me just a few seconds ago.

'_Open your door.'_

I blinked, quirking a curious brow towards the front door.

"They're here," Peter muttered in a blatantly annoyed voice, flitting over to the door and cracking it. I heard a familiar tinkling voice greet him followed by another low whispering hello.

Alice and Jasper stepped inside and I immediately charged the tiny vampire first, throwing myself into her marble arms. She hugged me back just as tightly, nearly cutting off my air supply, but I didn't care. "Hi, Bella," she giggled into my hair, patting my back as we parted.

"I'm glad you're here," was all I could manage through my haze of tears. She nodded, her eyes seeming to mist with venomous tears, too.

"Bella," Jasper greeted. I grinned at him through my watery gaze, quickly pulling him into an embrace. It was so strange. I'd never been this close to Jasper before, but I immediately liked it. I didn't know why we hadn't been closer before—oh wait, never mind, I did. Edward had pushed me so far away from Jasper that I rarely ever saw the empathic immortal. After the birthday incident, Jasper became almost a ghost to me. I barely saw him and more rarely spoke to him. Now that Edward was out of the picture, it seemed that Jasper would be just as close as Alice. I couldn't be happier about it.

"We came as soon as it was clear. Carlisle and the rest of the family was able to pull Edward out of his funk enough to drag him out on a hunt. It gave us enough time to sneak away and visit," Alice explained, "… we need to talk about your plans."

I halted and I knew my face was stony with her announcement. "I'm not backing out of this."

"Bella, you need to consider what you're doing. I know you want revenge for what he's done to you, but this isn't the way. Tanya is our cousin and killing her will lead to a war between our families. Is that what you want for us?" she asked and I nearly pouted with unhappiness.

"Why didn't you ask her about this when she was planning it out?" Alice then demanded of Peter. He had nearly melted into the background, merely a shadow against the dark walls of the house. He shrugged.

"Didn't care. It's not my problem whether you fight them or not. It's not like you won't win if it ever comes to fruition."

Alice gaped at him and I swear I could see steam coming out of her ears. Jasper was silently holding his laughter behind her, but I could see him struggling to hold his expression.

"It's not about winning! It's about peace!" she cried in frustration, turning around to face her husband, "… right Jazz?! Tell him not to do this. He can't kill Tanya."

"I'm sorry, do I detect a hint of false authority in the air?" Peter asked in a deathly quiet voice. I took a step back towards him, shadowing behind him. "Whitlock might have had power when we were with Maria, but he certainly holds none now."

Jasper's expression twisted from amused to a steady gaze on Alice. "You know I can't tell him what to do anymore, Alice. Besides, I don't think this is an entirely bad idea…"

Alice nearly shrieked in anger, crossing her arms and stomping her foot on the ground. I think the tile cracked.

"You know I've never liked them. We could do with some good old extermination," he said with a dark chuckle. Peter grinned beside me, nodding in agreement.

"Just like the good ol' days, ain't that right?" Peter replied with a suddenly strong southern twang. I think I nearly creamed my pants just then. Where the hell did that come from? Jasper chuckled and nodded.

"You've got to be kidding. You're going to help them?" Alice asked in a defeated voice, heaving heavily. Jasper could only nod.

"I love you, but yes, I'm going to help them. Edward doesn't deserve to live, but hell, I'll settle for Tanya if we can't get rid of him. You know the way they look at me, Alice. You've seen the judgmental glares and the not-so-quiet whispering. They all think I'm a monster. So… let's show them what a monster really looks like," he growled.

I was in utter shock at how this had unfolded. Alice was against our plan, but we had gained Jasper—a frighteningly strong, angry Jasper. Jasper and Peter, the duo stood side by side next to me, all three of us eyeing Alice. She slumped, sighing heavily once more. "I won't tell anyone and I'll keep this from Edward… but I won't help you either," she whispered, obviously hurt and angry at his choice.

So she wasn't on our side, but she wouldn't get in the way. At least we didn't have to worry about her interfering, but I couldn't help but feel guilty about splitting them up for the moment.

"Jasper, I'm sorry about this. You don't have to do this, you know. You should be with Alice," I said, gesturing towards the door. He shook his head, frowning.

"No. Alice and I will always be lovers and the closest of friends, but we have very different views on most things. She has always been the peace keeper in our time together. I, on the other hand, have always preferred to take a more aggressive stand."

Wait, what? Closest of friends? I didn't understand.

"I thought you two were in love. You look so happy with her."

"I do love her. I owe her my life, but she has never been _the one_. She knows it. We simply fill our time in each other's company in waiting for our true mates to reveal themselves. Until then… well, I suppose you could call us 'friends with benefits'," he explained. I was absolutely fucking floored.

"Welcome to 'Team Bella', Whitlock," Peter congratulated with false cheeriness. Jasper chuckled, punching Peter teasingly on the arm.

"I've always been 'Team Bella', ain't that right Darlin'?" he asked. I blinked at that southern twang again. Was I melting in my spot yet?

"Bella?" Jasper asked again, his eyes darkening. "Why are you... uh, never mind," he muttered quickly. If vampires could blush, I'm sure he would be red from head to toe. "I'll find a room," he said in hasty dismissal, vanishing off deeper into the house.

"The hell was that?" Peter asked, but there was a knowing glint in his eye.

"Oh, fuck you," I replied, sticking out my tongue.

"We'll be doin' that soon enough, Sugar. If I'd known you like this accent so much, I would'a done it sooner," he snapped back with a smirk. I flushed, turning my back on him.

"Shut up. I don't like it," I lied. Badly, I might add.

My phone blipped loudly and I fumbled to get it out of my jean pocket, reading the text from Alice.

'_The family is going to think Jasper slipped again and needed some time alone to recover. It'll buy you enough time to do what you need to do. Please be careful. –A'_

I showed Peter and he chuckled darkly. "Don't worry about being careful, Sugar. You have double protection now that Whitlock's here. And it seems Edward's little soiree with Tanya has spurred some of the old Jasper back. The Major is making a return and I plan to revel in it. It has been so, so long," he grinned. Whatever this meant, he seemed extremely happy about it

"The Major? What is that?" I asked, but I was interrupted by the disturbing feeling of being watched behind me. I turned to find Jasper only inches behind me, a murky expression on his face.

"It's who I was during the Vampire Wars, Bella. It was a persona that I put away for a long time—for Alice, for the Cullen's. But Peter has made it clear that I no longer need to hide that side of me here."

"That side of you? I don't understand. Why would you need to hide it?" I asked, still intrigued.

"Because I was—I am—a killing machine. I took life with little remorse, Bella. It's different now. I have my emotions intact and I understand what I'm doing, but The Major, this piece of me, is starting to reemerge. And I can't say I don't like it," he explained.

"So it's the old you mixing in with the new you?" I asked, trying to simplify what I knew was ridiculously complicated emotions in my head. He nodded.

"In a way, yes."

"Good. I like the new you, Jasper. But I think I'll like the old you, too. I've found that I've been hiding a lot of the real me, too," I replied in a soft voice, shuddering at the realization of how close Jasper and I really were. We had so much in common and I was so sheltered before that I hadn't even realized it.

"I like the real you, Darlin'," he chuckled, brushing a strand of hair out of my flushed face. "Just teasing, Bella. I wouldn't do anything you wouldn't want me to."

What the hell was that supposed to mean?! Was he ok'ing us to do… stuff? What about Peter and me? Was he okay with that? Was _I_ okay with that?! I didn't know, but my body was certainly responding accordingly.

Peter, who had grown silent during our conversation, ran a cool hand up my waist, his calloused fingers tracing circles on my bare skin. I shivered, accidentally backing up into Jasper's tall frame. I felt him lean down and I froze, not knowing what to expect.

I felt his cool lips peck my forehead sweetly, though his hand had joined Peter's on my waist. His touch was surprisingly different from Peter's. It was gentle and almost timid as it traced along the hemline of my pants, skimming over my overheated skin. I felt like I was hyperventilating. Two ridiculously hot vampires were touching me and I felt like I was going to shudder into a puddle at their glorious feet.

"Bella, do you want this?" Jasper asked softly, his amber eyes searching mine. Peter's fingers dipped into my pants, playing with the hem of my panties. My eyes squeezed shut and I gasped when Jasper's gentle touch trailed up, his thumb brushing against the curve of my breasts.

"Y-Yes," I breathed. I wasn't thinking. This wasn't right. I couldn't do this with them. Oh God, what about Alice? She was going to be devastated! I was going to betray my best friend, my sister, and do naughty things with her hot husband. All of these thoughts were racing through my head somewhere deep in the recesses of my thoughts, but I couldn't get past how wonderfully erotic their hands felt against my skin.

I wanted to say sorry. I wanted to scream how sorry I was for doing this, but I couldn't feel sorry. I wasn't allowed to feel sorry. I remembered what Peter said. This was about me. I wanted this, as selfish and wrong as it was. "Yes," I repeated in a low hiss when Jasper's thumb brushed against a taut nipple.

_Oh, there's no going back now, Bella. You've lost your mind and your soul to these two devilish vampires. And you don't feel one bit sorry for it, do you?_

I didn't feel sorry at all. They were mine now—and I wanted all of it.

A/N: Don't hate me. I love Jasper too much to just leave him out of this. Leave a review and let me know what you think!


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